Agri-food supply chain: evolution and performance with conflicting consumer and societal demands

Abstract

Modern consumers increasingly demand that their food satisfies multiple ‘quality’ dimensions including those pertaining to its location, sustainability and humane treatment of livestock. Society increasingly demands that, in addition to supplying plentiful and cheap food, agriculture also supply fuel, meet environmental goals and distribute income in an equitable manner. We consider the food chain's evolution and evaluate its performance in meeting these challenges, analyse the impacts of these multidimensional demands on the welfare of the various supply-chain actors, and evaluate agricultural policies in light of the challenges facing modern agricultural markets, including producing at least 70 per cent more food by 2050.